Lukashenko's Place Of Shame
- 21.04.2026, 15:17
How much money has been invested, how many scandals have been organized, how many dismissals have been made - and this is the result.
Recently, when considering personnel issues, Alexander Lukashenko recalled the situation in Orsha district, writes "Salidarnasts". Head of Administration Dmitry Krutoy explained the need to change the head of the region as follows:
"The main reason: Orsha district is industrial, 60% of the economy (of the district) - industrial enterprises. 3 billion rubles were invested in the district under the relevant program, which was implemented from 2018 to 2023. The current industrial dynamics of the enterprises is not exactly what is laid down in business plans and what should be".
That's how rather dryly Krutoy summarized the depressing results of the epic initiated by Lukashenko to turn the Orsha district into New Vasyuki.
The ruler also remarked: "It should be shown by the example of Orsha district. It is a huge district...", but he stopped and moved on to another topic. These words did not appear in the reports of state media - apparently because they can only cause a smile.
The task "to show by the example of Orsha district" was set by Lukashenko almost a decade ago. Lukashenko set the task almost a decade ago - and it led to many scandals. In the spring of 2017, he demanded that Orsha, Baran and Bolbasovo be raised "from ruins and ashes in the near future":
These regions are another epic that we are starting. And we must solve these problems very quickly.
Lukashenko threw the whole government at one region. In the ruler's understanding, it was obliged to modernize all the industrial enterprises of the region, so that the economy of the region would flourish. Seeing that the miracle was not working, in August 2018 he organized one of his most famous crackdowns.
Then Prime Minister Andrey Kobyakov, Industry Minister Vitaly Vovk and Architecture and Construction Minister Anatoly Cherny were fired. A number of officials received reprimands and warnings of incomplete official compliance.
Even an old associate got under the hot hand: "I sent Sheiman there too, who hasn't done a damn thing in terms of control. Not a damn - general!"
Lukashenko ordered to transfer the Orsha district to the special functioning regime and now we see the results: 3 billion rubles were invested, but the expected results are not there. Which, of course, is not surprising.
It is possible to buy new equipment for enterprises with budget money, but how to make the products in demand and competitive, especially in outdated industries? Lukashenko didn't seem to think much about these questions.
The residents of Orsha district didn't get much despite the grandiose investments. For example, the average salary in February (2,249 rubles) in the industrial region was even lower than in neighboring Chashniki and Verkhnedvinsk districts.
The only winner was Lukashenko himself: under the guise of development of the transport and logistics center in Bolbasovo, near his native village, the airport was reconstructed - sometimes he flies to Alexandria by Boeing.
The current attempt of the ruler to fix things in the district by appointing a new chairman of the district executive committee also makes one smile. How many of them have already been replaced...
In May 2017, Leonid Penkovsky was appointed head of the district executive committee. A few weeks later, Lukashenko was outraged that law enforcers "broke into the house" of the new district head without his permission. In August 2017, Penkowski was replaced by Alexander Pazniak. He worked as chairman of the Orsha district executive committee for only a year - until the famous razing.
Igor Isachenko worked the longest (until May 2023), during his period just "mastered" the budget flows. Igor Moroz was delayed for two and a half years. Now Lukashenko has only faith in Leonid Mojzhik left of all his grandiose plans...
According to everything, a decade ago the ruler wanted Orsha district to become his place of glory. He was born on its border, in Kopysi, his mother once worked at the Orsha flax mill.
But instead the region became Lukashenko's place of shame. Under his direct leadership and with huge financial influence, even one separate district out of 118 could not change life for the better.